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Peel and thinly slice the full head of garlic. Place the sliced garlic in a small saucepan and cover completely with olive oil. Gently fry the garlic over low heat until it turns golden brown and crispy, about 15-20 minutes.

Strain the fried garlic and oil through a fine-mesh sieve into a heat-proof bowl. Reserve both the crispy garlic and the garlic-infused olive oil separately.

In a tall, narrow container suitable for an immersion blender, add several spoonfuls of hot Calabrian peppers in oil, about half of the reserved crispy fried garlic, and a few spoonfuls of the reserved garlic-infused olive oil. Blend this mixture with an immersion blender until it forms a smooth, reddish-orange paste.

Add a few spoonfuls of the reserved garlic-infused olive oil and one pat of butter to a large pan or skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped pancetta and cook until it is crispy, about 5-7 minutes. Remove the crispy pancetta with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the rendered fat in the pan.

Add the thinly sliced onion to the pan with the pancetta fat. Sauté until the onion is softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the remaining thinly sliced garlic and sauté briefly until fragrant, about 1 minute, being careful not to burn it.

Squeeze a generous amount of tomato paste into the pan and cook it down, stirring constantly, for about 1-2 minutes. Pour in the 1/2 cup of vodka. Carefully ignite the vodka with a kitchen torch or by tilting the pan to flambé, allowing the alcohol to burn off. Stir until the flames subside.

Pour in the 15 ounces of crushed tomatoes. Add the previously blended garlic-pepper-oil paste (from step 3) to the pan. Stir thoroughly to combine all ingredients.

Pour in the 1 cup of heavy cream. Stir continuously until the sauce is well combined and transforms into a vibrant 'neon orange' color.

Carefully pour the entire sauce mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl. Use a spatula to press down on the solids in the sieve, extracting as much liquid and flavor as possible to achieve a smooth, silky sauce. Discard the strained solids.

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add a generous amount of sugar to the boiling water. Add the 12 ounces of short pasta and cook according to package instructions until it is al dente, typically 8-10 minutes.

Transfer the strained vodka sauce back to the large pan or skillet. Using a spider or slotted spoon, transfer the cooked pasta directly from the boiling water into the sauce in the pan.

Add the reserved crispy pancetta to the pasta and sauce. Add the 2-3 pats of cold butter. Add a splash of the starchy pasta cooking water. Toss everything vigorously until the pasta is evenly coated, and the sauce is glossy and emulsified.

Serve the vodka sauce pasta immediately. Grate fresh Parmesan cheese generously over each serving and garnish with fresh parsley.


Peel and thinly slice the full head of garlic. Place the sliced garlic in a small saucepan and cover completely with olive oil. Gently fry the garlic over low heat until it turns golden brown and crispy, about 15-20 minutes.

Strain the fried garlic and oil through a fine-mesh sieve into a heat-proof bowl. Reserve both the crispy garlic and the garlic-infused olive oil separately.

In a tall, narrow container suitable for an immersion blender, add several spoonfuls of hot Calabrian peppers in oil, about half of the reserved crispy fried garlic, and a few spoonfuls of the reserved garlic-infused olive oil. Blend this mixture with an immersion blender until it forms a smooth, reddish-orange paste.

Add a few spoonfuls of the reserved garlic-infused olive oil and one pat of butter to a large pan or skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped pancetta and cook until it is crispy, about 5-7 minutes. Remove the crispy pancetta with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the rendered fat in the pan.

Add the thinly sliced onion to the pan with the pancetta fat. Sauté until the onion is softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the remaining thinly sliced garlic and sauté briefly until fragrant, about 1 minute, being careful not to burn it.

Squeeze a generous amount of tomato paste into the pan and cook it down, stirring constantly, for about 1-2 minutes. Pour in the 1/2 cup of vodka. Carefully ignite the vodka with a kitchen torch or by tilting the pan to flambé, allowing the alcohol to burn off. Stir until the flames subside.

Pour in the 15 ounces of crushed tomatoes. Add the previously blended garlic-pepper-oil paste (from step 3) to the pan. Stir thoroughly to combine all ingredients.

Pour in the 1 cup of heavy cream. Stir continuously until the sauce is well combined and transforms into a vibrant 'neon orange' color.

Carefully pour the entire sauce mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl. Use a spatula to press down on the solids in the sieve, extracting as much liquid and flavor as possible to achieve a smooth, silky sauce. Discard the strained solids.

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add a generous amount of sugar to the boiling water. Add the 12 ounces of short pasta and cook according to package instructions until it is al dente, typically 8-10 minutes.

Transfer the strained vodka sauce back to the large pan or skillet. Using a spider or slotted spoon, transfer the cooked pasta directly from the boiling water into the sauce in the pan.

Add the reserved crispy pancetta to the pasta and sauce. Add the 2-3 pats of cold butter. Add a splash of the starchy pasta cooking water. Toss everything vigorously until the pasta is evenly coated, and the sauce is glossy and emulsified.

Serve the vodka sauce pasta immediately. Grate fresh Parmesan cheese generously over each serving and garnish with fresh parsley.
